I'm including several profile shots due to the very interesting pronounced edge features, straight on profile and top and bottom bell/bridge on this particular cymbal. All these contribute to it's very nice full on quick rich crash and shimmer. Great crash!

Stan the Man, I am still very envious of your pie collection. I hope your homeowners insurance covers all of these. And I think it's time to change your name to Entennmans since you have more pies than they.

Stan the Man, I am still very envious of your pie collection. I hope your homeowners insurance covers all of these. And I think it's time to change your name to Entennmans since you have more pies than they.

From 2004 and could be one of the original prototypes or one of the first batch of ten production models from the factory shipped to Heartbeat here in Canada I was told from a records check by Noel at the shop. At any point is is ultra rare especially at this med. heavy weight with its distincive Sig bottom seen and sounds amazing and there's still bit of a mystery around where it came from to be found in the 22" rack with other new pies discovered by your's truly yesterday well on a social visit :}

Front and back shots. Pictures don't show its unique TW profile but you can see the hand applied cm/inches ink stamp on the back:

I've never even seen an Istanbul in the "flesh" in Sydney, let alone played or owned one *jealous*

If it sounds anywhere near as beautiful as it looks, it would be a dream.

You don't find them in shops often in the States either.
Few drum shops stock Agop's.
I found a used one recently in a drum shop in Connecticut and I bought it.
I pretty much have to use the net for private sales to buy them around here.

Many of the drummers that I meet look at mine and they do a double take when they first see them at gigs and such because they have never seen one in person.
They almost always ask me if they can hit mine.

Turned up recently after some moving about and shuffling of some pies at the Canadian Distributors location. It was brought to my attention by Chad at Heartbeat a few weeks back. Thanks Chad!

Amazing pie with qualities of the lighter versions and their original weight of med. heavy for the vibe and character Lenny was going after. Actually this one sounds a lot like Lenny's Epoch heard on the "Return to Forever: Live at Montreaux" DVD.

At this weight it has a nice defined clear higher pitched stick click with a very dark and complex controlled wash underneath. Lots happening in the wash in this Epoch sample such as a bit of a pleasing sounding built in sizzle going on under the stick. Nice quick thunderous crash and many sweet spots depending on the placement and angle of the stick for interesting sounding shoulder crashes. Dig the bell on this one too. Check out the extensive hammering and very defined downward hook and overall profile on this sample in the pics.

And yes I have a few of these Epoch rides now that are all a bit different because I really dig the sound of them when heard within the music :}

Gruntersdad buys ticket to Vancouver BC...Stalks Stanley....catches him at a laxed moment where he only goes to the store around the corner..... stealthily enters Stans
domicile...collects a few pies....departs before being caught by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police....close call. Back to the Florida sun.

For the singer/songwriter stuff I play, the Dark Ride usually takes the main slot. Last month I had Tony at CymbalsOnly.com order a slightly heavier ride for my rock gigs... they sent us a Jazz ride that had been discontinued a while back. Nice to see one of those make a comeback :)

I have finally become part of the family!!! I picked up this beauty on ebay.

Had a crack that was repaired. I took a chance and couldnt be happier. It is a perfect match for my go to cymbal- an 18inch zildjian A thin crash. I am not a hard hitter so I believe this baby will be with me for a long time.

I dont know much about it-- 17inch Rock crash- Has the Instanbul logo but pre- Agop.

Both Agop and Mehmet have signed the inside of the bell- Was hoping someone out there could give me a little info?

I have finally become part of the family!!! I picked up this beauty on ebay.

Had a crack that was repaired. I took a chance and couldnt be happier. It is a perfect match for my go to cymbal- an 18inch zildjian A thin crash. I am not a hard hitter so I believe this baby will be with me for a long time.

I dont know much about it-- 17inch Rock crash- Has the Instanbul logo but pre- Agop.

Both Agop and Mehmet have signed the inside of the bell- Was hoping someone out there could give me a little info?

Thanks guys

That's pre-split, which happened in 1997 when Agop died. Two companies formed as a result... his sons (Sarkis and Arman) formed Istanbul Agop in their father's legacy, and Agop's brother started Istanbul Mehmet.

I can't see the pictures since I'm at work, but I'm sure it's a great find! I'll check it out when I get home.

Without seeing the hard stamp i'll ballpark this pre-split Istanbul based on the size and color of the ink logos top and bottom at being from around the 1987-1992 production period.

Yes Agop died tragically in a boating accident in 96. The original company was split up in two with Arman and Sarkis {the two son's of Agop} forming Istanbul Agop at that time. Mehmet carried on at the original pre-split Istanbul factory with the other company in the mix called Istanbul Mehmet which still produces its own handmade Turkish cymbals we still see today.

I tried to take a pic of the stamp- my camera couldnt take a good picture.

States- hand mand in Turkey- with Tumorturk ( I know I'm spelling that wrong but I'm at work doing it from memory)

No date -as far as I can see

Yes the pre-splits have the Agop Tomurcuk and Mehmet Tamdeger full names in the cymbals hard stamp. The design of the hard stamp changed over time as well as the color and such of the ink logos on these original Istanbuls. These two elements combined are the best {and only way} to narrow down an actual production date time line on them.

Here's a couple i've had for a while I just got around to photographing.

First up a 24" Agop Signature ride at 2345g...yes 2345 grams for a big 24" ride folks!

The stick sound heard on top and ultra dark overall vibe and trashy quick explosive crash of this pie heard in the flesh will blow your mind. The ultimate true CRASH/ RIDE in my books doing both REALLY well though not marketed as such a cymbal by the company.

The other seen next is my Agop Signature 18" Flat Ride. This one has been heard on several of the tracks of the Delta Quartet {Jared Burrows and friends} I posted in a link to Jared's website in the recent studio recordings thread. Here the link to the music again for those who missed it to hear this 18" flat in action in context:

how do you love your OM ride? How would you describe it? I'm thinking about getting
one of these beauties!! Funny thing is, though I like all the video and audio samples
I hear, I don't dig Cindy Blackman herself's sound very much, she seems to bash it
quite loud.

Is the 20" crash rideable, or is it too thin?

By the way, is this dark wood furniture thing on many of your pics a piano?

how do you love your OM ride? How would you describe it? I'm thinking about getting
one of these beauties!! Funny thing is, though I like all the video and audio samples
I hear, I don't dig Cindy Blackman herself's sound very much, she seems to bash it
quite loud.

Is the 20" crash rideable, or is it too thin?

By the way, is this dark wood furniture thing on many of your pics a piano?

First up it's a old upright piano used for my shots Matthias......

I really love the sound of the complete OM cymbal family and I would consider the 20" as an excellent larger dark and explosive full on crash that fits well in acoustic instrument based music. It does function too as a nice light ride with the right stick and touch but it really shines as a crash to my ears from my experience .

Here's a very good video I came across this weekend of the 22" OM played with good dynamic playing skills with a wide variety of stick choices that delivers the vibe and character they have going on for acoustic jazz work. Nice cymbal:

Here's a very good video I came across this weekend of the 22" OM played with good dynamic playing skills with a wide variety of stick choices that delivers the vibe and character they have going on for acoustic jazz work. Nice cymbal:

Thanks for the link, excellent! Think I'm gonna get me one of these!! Apart from the 20"
OM crash, what would you recommend as a complimentary smaller ride to the 22"?
I mean it's personal of course, but as the Ata Istanbul Agop (hehe) you surely have
the experience and the ear for those cymbals!
At the moment I'm using a Sabian Encore 21" as a left side ride, but I think it's quite
a different kind of sound and I doubt it will match the 22" OM well...